2012 Calendars Now Available

Hello Blogland! I know it's been awhile since I've posted, but it's not for lack of productivity. Most of what I've been doing lately is graphic design oriented rather than greeting card driven. I typically only post the card making projects here, but I thought I'd share this year's calendars since they've been such a big reason for my absence. It's also the first time I've branched out and done a wall calendar, so I am excited to share that as well.

First up is the desktop version.


I decided to go simple with this year's desktop calendar since I was committed to doing a wall calendar, too. Each month has the same swag of banners with different colors. I've used this motif on other projects in the past and it just felt like a fun direction for the calendar.



These are HERE in my Etsy shop, at Celebrate Local (at Easton Town Center), or you can find me at shows in and around Columbus. They'll be at Wholly Craft in the next couple of weeks, too.

And here is the wall calendar!


I illustrated a different object or scene from nature for each month. The finished size is 6" x 9" so it's small enough that it won't take up an overwhelming amount of space, but it still packs a colorful punch with each page being a full-color illustration. I also decided to invest in a binding tool because the only color my local office supply stores would use was black. So they're all me from the design and printing through to the binding. I'm really not sure which month is my favorite. How about you?




These are also available in my Etsy shop HERE and the same stocking information applies.

Thank you for stopping by today and taking a peek at how I've been keeping myself occupied. I really hope to be making cards again in the near future. In fact, I think tomorrow is Papertrey's blog hop, so maybe I'll get a project together and participate. Fingers crossed! Either way, have a great afternoon and I'll see you again soon!

I'm sorry to say that someone has taken the opportunity to be rude and totally disrespectful through the comments of my blog (choosing, in fact, to add their disrespect to the post in which I discuss the passing of my grandmother...nice), so for the time being I am going to turn on the comment moderation function. I'm sorry if that means someone with a good heart decides not to leave a comment. Have a nice day.

A Sympathy Bouquet

Hello, Blogland! This weekend was a whole lot of fun, but I'm tuckered so I hope you don't mind if I keep this short.

Earlier this summer my grandmother passed away and I noticed a few things at the time. No one ever likes to have an occasion to make sympathy cards. I don't even know anyone that likes to buy them, but they are an unfortunate necessity and I'm more comfortable having a few on had for those moments when they're needed. So I plan to challenge myself to make a sympathy card once in awhile, just in case.


I used Larger Than Life for the focal image on this card. I feel like there are certain situations in which simpler is most certainly better, and sympathy cards fit into that category for me. So to make today's card I started by stamping one of the branches twice and adding in small flowers from the set. I then tied a simple bow around the panel with Rustic Jute Button Twine and embellished the flowers with just a touch of dimensional paint. The paint adds just a little luster without making the card flashy.


Next, I made the base from Kraft stamped with Background Basics Woodgrain and watermark ink. I wanted to tie in the blue flowers again, so I die cut a strip of Spring Rain cardstock with the Victorian Lace Border Die and adhered it along the left side of the card base. I mounted the floral focal panel with foam tape over the decorative strip and added a sentiment to finish it off.

I hop you like today's card and I hope you'll join me in challenging yourself to have a few tough-to-make cards on hand. I feel like I'm better prepared already. Have a good day and I'll see you next time.

Recipe:
Stamps: Larger than Life, Background Basics: Woodgrain, Birds of a Feather - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Kraft, Spring Rain - Papertrey Ink; white
Ink: Spring Rain, Spring Moss, Fresh Snow - Papertrey Ink; Versamark - Tsukineko
Other: Victorian Lace Border Die, Rustic Jute Button Twine - Papertrey Ink; dimensional paint; foam tape

You Scream, I Scream...

Hello! It's been a busy week here at the Jones residence. This weekend is a fun outdoor festival that I've participated in the past few years and I'm really looking forward to it, but it will keep me occupied most of the weekend (in one form or another) so I wanted to take a moment to post today.


Who doesn't love ice cream, huh? Sweet treats are always appreciated on special occasions, making this little cone perfect for a birthday card. I started by stamping the polka dot pattern in white ink on Kraft cardstock. All you have to do to get the pattern is stamp the largest polka dot from the original Polka Dot Basics set and fill in the spaces with the next largest dot. Super simple, but it's a nice variation on the standard pattern. I then hand stitched around the perimeter of the panel with embroidery floss. I would use my sewing machine if I weren't afraid of it. I'm much better with my own two hands. Once that was finished I adhered it to a white base and set the whole thing aside.


Next I die cut the Half & Half strip and the ice cream cone pieces. The cone itself was then stamped with one of the patterned strips from the Half & Half stamp set while the scoop was given a sprinkle treatment using the dots topper from Cupcake Collection. The sprinkles were embellished with Stickles and allowed to dry before stitching on a button. The cone components and the Half & Half strip were then added to the polka dotted layer on the card front.


Finally I did the sentiment strip. I started by cutting a piece of Berry Sorbet cardstock and scoring a line about 3/16" from the top and bottom edges. Next I stamped the sentiment with white ink and heat embossed using white detail powder. That strip was then mounted with foam tape just under the ice cream cone.

Well that's it for me today. Have a great weekend and if you're in the area come on by and say hello at Independents' Day!

Recipe:
Stamps: Half & Half, Polka Dot Basics, Cupcake Collection, Up, Up, and Away - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Kraft, Berry Sorbet - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Fresh Snow - Papertrey Ink; Versamark - Tsukineko
Other: Half & Half Dies, Sweet As Can Be Dies, Berry Sorbet Button - Papertrey Ink; Embroidery Floss - DMC; Embossing Powder - Filigree; foam tape

Thinking of You

Hello, Blogland! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. It was one of my only show-less weekends for awhile, so I enjoyed it as much as possible.


Today's card is just a little "thinking of you" number. I started by stamping the newsprint background onto a piece of white cardstock cut just smaller than my base. Then I die cut a frame using the Mat Stack 4 and Fillable Frames #7 dies. I ran that through the Cuttlebug with the Woodgrain Impression Plate and placed it on the white layer to see how much space I had for the sentiment. I stamped the "thinking of you" in Dark Chocolate ink and then adhered the white layer to the card base. I then wrapped the ribbon and perle cotton around the base and secured them with Scor-tape. The frame was mounted with foam tape over those ends to hide them cleanly away.


Next I die cut and stamped the mug. Before mounting the mug I stamped the steam swirl using Spring Rain ink that had been stamped off once. That gave me just enough color to see the steam while keeping it transparent enough to be realistic. The mug was added (two layers of foam tape to give it extra dimension) and the steam swirls were embellished with flocking. A little extra texture never hurt anyone (especially if it was flocking! - guffaw).

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a wonderful week!

Recipe:
Stamps: Warm Happiness, Warm Happiness Too, Background Basics: Newsprint, Pond Life - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Spring Moss, Enchanted Evening - Papertrey Ink; white
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Spring Rain, Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink
Other: Spring Rain Saddle Stitched Ribbon, Mat Stack 4 Die, Fillable Frames #7 Die, Woodgrain Impression Plate - Papertrey Ink; Dark Brown Perle Cotton - DMC; foam tape